meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

: enduring injury with patience and without resentment : mild

a meek child dominated by his brothers

2

: deficient in spirit and courage : submissive

"I don't care," came the meek reply

—Annetta Miller

3

: not violent or strong : moderate

his delivery varied from a meek, melodic patter to rapid-fire scriptural allusions

—Bob Trebilcock

meekly adverb

Synonyms

• demure
• down-to-earth
• humble
• lowly
• modest
• unassuming
• unpretentious

Examples of meek in a Sentence

a meek child dominated by his brothers

She may seem meek and mild but it is all an act.

Recent Examples on the Web

Complacency, cowardice and meek self-preservation won’t do here and now. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025

Ahead of the clash with Bournemouth, Guardiola has said not even victory in the competition would salvage the poor showings in the Champions League and meek surrender of the Premier League title. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Episodes 5 and 6 inverted the relationship between abrasive eldest boy Saxon and the meek baby of the family, Lochlan. —Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025

He’s dominated as a one-man offensive show for a meek Canucks attack, scoring the most points-per-game of all defenceman in the NHL. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjūkr gentle; akin to Welsh esmwyth soft

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for meek

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek

Kids Definition

meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

: putting up with wrongs patiently and without complaint : mild

2

: lacking spirit or self-assurance : humble

meekly adverb

meekness noun